Moms Inspire Learning

The Nature of Vermont, Part 1

© Dawn Riccardi Morris, Vermont 2009

When I think of Vermont, I think of mountains, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, Cabot cheese, and of course, cows. Usually, we'd see a lot of them as we made our way through the state, but we had to look a little bit harder this time. Just as I was wondering where all the cows went, we came across these adorable ones on a small farm. I just had to stop and take a picture!

It's been a week since we returned from our trip to Vermont, but I think I'll always carry a little piece of that vacation with me. At least I hope I will.

It was our third visit to the Green Mountain State. We keep returning because we love to immerse ourselves in nature. It's a great way to put aside day to day life and connect as a family.

In Vermont, you are literally surrounded by green. You feel like you're a small part of something so much larger than yourself (kind of like when you look at the ocean). Yet, the smallest things can amaze and inspire you. For example, here's a photo of the toad (or frog?) that greeted us at the pond in front of our log cabin:

© Dawn Riccardi Morris, Vermont 2009

Here is the pond where he lives, and the view from our cabin:

© Dawn Riccardi Morris, Vermont 2009

You can't help but reflect upon life when you're literally surrounded by it...

I'll tell you more about the trip, and share some more photos, later in the week. Have a great Sunday!

Go Wild with Ben and Jerry's!

I had to laugh when I came back from Vermont last Saturday, and found this article in "The New Yorker."  We had just visited the Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory, and now the company is being asked to come up with a library-themed ice cream flavor! It's one of those weird coincidences.

I'll tell you more about my trip, and share photos, next week (sorry for not getting to it this week), but today I just want to tell you a little bit about Ben and Jerry's. I'm willing to pay a little bit more for their ice cream and frozen yogurt because it's a company that I know I can trust.

Stonyfield Farm and "FOOD, INC."

Hello there. I haven't posted anything in the past couple of days because I'm taking a much needed break from everyday life at the moment. I'll be back in full force on Monday, but I wanted to share something with you in the meantime. Let's just say that it's "food for thought" for the weekend....

Informed Choices for Healthy Families

So many topics, so little time....I apologize for not providing you with many book suggestions this week, but I will surely have many for you next week!

This morning, I had a few different directions I could have gone in, but then I found a blog post that I just couldn't ignore. I haven't posted anything in my "Healthy, Green Families" category in quite a while, and this blog post from Healthy Child, Healthy World really fits in with this aspect of my blog. It made me so angry when I read it that I felt compelled to address it today.

A Simple Chicken Recipe

Well, winter has been over for a while, and the planet is looking greener every day, but this photo reminds me of the fact that we all have choices to make and paths to choose in life.

Soup, Blogs, and Cookbooks for Healthy Families

It's easy to pack a lot of fruits and vegetables into your day when you eat soup. Unfortunately, many canned soups, and soups made in restaurants, have so much salt and saturated fat (cream soups) that they aren't healthy at all.

The good news is that you can make your own delicious, healthy soups right at home. I used to think that it was complicated and time consuming to make my own soup, but then I found some recipes that changed my mind. Now I want to try other recipes created by these fabulous cookbook authors.

A Healthy Recipe for You

As we are to closing out the month of March (wow, this year's already flying), I'd like to share another healthy recipe. Just to let you know, April will be an exciting month. It's National Math Awareness Month and National Poetry Month in the USA, as well as Earth Day on April 22nd. I have a lot of great resources to share with you!

Moms Inspire Learning: Reduce Your Use

Everywhere you go, people are carrying disposable water bottles. I couldn't even guess how many of them are circulating around the world at this very moment. By now, most parents and teachers are showing their children how to recycle these bottles, as well as other disposable containers. It's a great first step in teaching children how to respect our environment. However, it's certainly not the only step that needs to be taken. There's a step that comes before recycling that is even more important.

A Healthy Recipe to Start Your Day

Many of us do not have time to bake homemade muffins these days, but once a while they can be a wonderful treat. I've been making these muffins for many years now.  With whole wheat flour, carrots, and apples as ingredients, Family Fun's Good Morning Muffins are healthy and delicious. Whether you make them for breakfast, or even to eat as a snack, they really can't be beat. The best part is that it's easy for your children to help you bake them.  I hope your family enjoys them as much as we have. For another fantastic muffin recipe, click here.

Have a wonderful day!

Healthy Choices for a Green Planet

I've been buying organic products since my first child was born. Certain individuals claim there is no proof that these products are any better than conventional ones, but sometimes common sense should override even the most convincing "expert" advice. I've always been skeptical about the use of chemicals, but pesticides make me even more nervous. After all, pesticides are used to kill insects. How can anyone ever be so sure that they can't kill people, too?